Scientists are fighting back against President Trump's efforts to purge climate change data from government websites and initiatives. The move has been seen as a deliberate attempt by the administration to downplay the reality of human-caused global warming.
In recent years, the Trump administration has systematically dismantled numerous climate science initiatives and datasets, including the National Climate Assessments, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, and over 3,000 government-collected datasets. This includes removing mentions of human-caused climate change from the climate.gov website, slashing funding for environmental regulations, and pulling the US out of the Paris Climate Agreement.
Despite these efforts, a network of scientists and non-profit organizations has banded together to preserve vital climate data and research. Organizations such as Climate Central have successfully restored operations for key projects, including the NOAA's Billion Dollar Climate and Weather Disaster dataset by re-hiring laid-off scientists.
Climate Central's vice president for science, Kristina Dahl, explained that while they cannot take on new projects at the same scale as the federal government, the organization has managed to preserve critical data sets like the billion-dollar disasters dataset. This data is crucial for non-profits, insurance companies, and other stakeholders who rely on it to understand and prepare for climate-related events.
The Trump administration's actions have sparked a transfer of sovereignty over climate research from public institutions to private organizations. Non-profit groups with more flexible budgets but fewer resources are taking on the responsibility of preserving climate data, while also being influenced by donors who have their own agendas.
However, some scientists argue that this shift in responsibility is necessary and could lead to more democratic and inclusive approaches to climate research. Climate Central's CEO, Janice Lachance, emphasized the importance of building a science infrastructure that responds to the needs of both the US population and the global community in ten years from now.
In recent years, the Trump administration has systematically dismantled numerous climate science initiatives and datasets, including the National Climate Assessments, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, and over 3,000 government-collected datasets. This includes removing mentions of human-caused climate change from the climate.gov website, slashing funding for environmental regulations, and pulling the US out of the Paris Climate Agreement.
Despite these efforts, a network of scientists and non-profit organizations has banded together to preserve vital climate data and research. Organizations such as Climate Central have successfully restored operations for key projects, including the NOAA's Billion Dollar Climate and Weather Disaster dataset by re-hiring laid-off scientists.
Climate Central's vice president for science, Kristina Dahl, explained that while they cannot take on new projects at the same scale as the federal government, the organization has managed to preserve critical data sets like the billion-dollar disasters dataset. This data is crucial for non-profits, insurance companies, and other stakeholders who rely on it to understand and prepare for climate-related events.
The Trump administration's actions have sparked a transfer of sovereignty over climate research from public institutions to private organizations. Non-profit groups with more flexible budgets but fewer resources are taking on the responsibility of preserving climate data, while also being influenced by donors who have their own agendas.
However, some scientists argue that this shift in responsibility is necessary and could lead to more democratic and inclusive approaches to climate research. Climate Central's CEO, Janice Lachance, emphasized the importance of building a science infrastructure that responds to the needs of both the US population and the global community in ten years from now.